This book brings together some of the world's most exciting scholars from across a variety of disciplines to provide a concise and accessible guide to the Hebrew Bible. It covers every major genre of book in the Old Testament together with in-depth discussions of major themes such as human nature, covenant, creation, ethics, ritual and purity, sacred space, and monotheism. This authoritative overview sets each book within its historical and cultural context in the ancient Near East, paying special attention to its sociological setting. It provides new insights into the reception of the books and the different ways they have been studied, from historical-critical enquiry to modern advocacy approaches such as feminism and liberation theology. It also includes a guide to biblical translations and textual criticism and helpful suggestions for further reading.
Featuring contributions from experts with backgrounds in the Jewish and Christian faith traditions as well as secular scholars in the humanities and social sciences, The Hebrew Bible is the perfect starting place for anyone seeking a user-friendly introduction to the Old Testament, and an invaluable reference book for students and teachers.
Introduction ix John Barton List of Contributors xi Part I. The Hebrew Bible in Its Historical and Social Context 1 1. The Hebrew Bible and the Old Testament 3 John Barton 2. The Historical Framework 24 Biblical and Scholarly Portrayals of the Past Francesca Stavrakopoulou 3. The Social and Cultural History of Ancient Israel 54 Katherine Southwood 4. Israel in the Context of the Ancient Near East 86 Anthony J. Frendo Part II. Major Genres of Biblical Literature 107 5. The Narrative Books of the Hebrew Bible 109 Thomas Romer 6. The Prophetic Literature 133 R. G. Kratz 7. Legal Texts 160 Assnat Bartor 8. The Wisdom Literature 183 Jennie Grillo 9. The Psalms and Poems of the Hebrew Bible 206 Susan Gillingham Part III. Major Religious Themes 237 10. Monotheism 239 Benjamin D. Sommer 11. Creation 271 God and World Hermann Spieckermann 12. The Human Condition 293 Hilary Marlow 13. God's Covenants with Humanity and Israel 312 Dominik Markl 14. Ethics 338 C. L. Crouch 15. Religious Space and Structures 356 Stephen C. Russell 16. Ritual 378 Diet, Purity, and Sacrifice Seth D. Kunin Part IV. The Study and Reception of the Hebrew Bible 403 17. Reception of the Old Testament 405 Alison Gray 18. Historical-Critical Inquiry 431 Christoph Bultmann 19. Literary Approaches 455 David Jasper 20. Theological Approaches to the Old Testament 481 R.W.L. Moberly 21. Political and Advocacy Approaches 507 Eryl W. Davies 22. Textual Criticism and Biblical Translation 532 Carmel McCarthy 23. To Map or Not to Map? 556 A Biblical Dilemma Adrian Curtis Index of Scripture 575 Index of Modern Authors 589 Index of Subjects 596
